According to a survey commissioned by the workforce travel booking and management platform Roomex, 75% of UK food and drink staff use personal funds for travel expenses due to poorly managed travel, facing delays and stress that are causing them to question their future in the sector.
The findings are published in Roomex’s new Reinventing the Journey – Food & Drink Edition report, which is being launched at the Food & Drink Expo 2025 and is based on a survey of more than 1,400 UK workers, including 110 hospitality industry staff who frequently travel, and 105 workers who book travel at scale for businesses.
- 75% of food and drink workers pay for work travel expenses out of own pockets
- 55% of hospitality workers have left or considered leaving their jobs due to poorly managed work travel
- 1 in 3 (34%) have poor work-life balance due to work-related travel
Of those who do, 1 in 3 wait more than a week to be reimbursed, while almost 1 in 10 wait more than a month.
In addition to reimbursable costs, workers reported spending an average of £61.90 per day on unclaimable extras, such as activities to pass the time while away from home.
1 in 3 food and drink industry workers admit that they struggle with poor work-life balance as a result of frequent work travel, while 1 in 4 say they would like their employer to give more focus to the impact of workforce travel on their wellbeing.
The report suggests that last-minute bookings, inconsistent expense processes, and a lack of visibility over spending are contributing to both financial inefficiency and growing frustration among staff. It highlight the broader toll workforce travel is taking on hospitality staff, with 55% admitting they’ve either left or considered leaving a job due to how travel is handled.
Garry Moroney, CEO at Roomex, commented: “The real hidden cost of poorly managed travel for the food and drink industry is not just in the pounds lost or delayed, but in the toll it takes on staff morale and retention. Staff are being left to cover costs themselves and chase reimbursement after the fact, sometimes for weeks. When people are already stretched, that adds unnecessary pressure and businesses risk losing good employees as a result.”
The Food & Drink workforce travel report is being launched at the Food & Drink Expo 7-9 April 2025, NEC Birmingham. Head to the Roomex team at Stand LL269 to find out more.
The report can be downloaded here.
